Teddy Bates

My name is Teddy Bates and I plan on going into the field of astronautical engineering. Astronautical engineering has interested me for almost half my life, innovating ways to expand upon space travel has always excited me. Learning about how large space was and how vastly unexplored most of it sparked my interest in exploring more of it. Reading a lot of science fiction novels as a kid furthered my interest in space making me more excited about finding ways of exploring space more effectively. My Junior year of high school is when I realized more solidly that I wanted to go into astronautical engineering and I started taking engineering related classes.

Currently I am enrolled in Leonardtown High School and the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center. I am taking AP Physics C and AP Calculus AB at Leonardtown and I am in the Engineering program at the Technology Center. I take these classes to prepare me for the field of astronautical engineering. Having a basic understanding of Physics lets me easily expand upon my knowledge in the field which will help later on when I am learning about astronautical engineering.

Outside of academics I am a part of the Leonardtown High School Marching Band as the second snare drum. Being in the marching band has taught me how to persevere through challenging times, how to lead the younger members of the band by setting a good example and teaching them how to march, and how to be responsible for knowing what to play and where to march. I am also a part of my local Boy Scouts troop, Troop 303 of Valley Lee MD. In the troop I am one of the older scouts so I am naturally a role model for the younger boys, however, I am also the troop's Historian and I have been a Patrol Leader, and Quartermaster in the past. In elementary school I was part of my schools Robotics and Destination Imagination clubs. Both of these clubs got me thinking about creative problem solving and working with others as a team to solve a problem.

Immediately after graduating from High School I plan on going to a four-year college, ideally Worcester Polytechnic Institution, to continue learning about astronautical engineering. I think this is the best thing for me to do because I’ll need a greater understanding of astronautical engineering before I attempt to enter the field. After graduating from there I plan on either entering the workforce or continuing my learning in astronautical engineering.

After finishing college I plan on entering the workforce to provide better means of transportation through space that is fast for human and civilian transport, and possibly faster for cargo transport or exploratory means. This will broaden our living capabilities to other planets such as Mars and allow us to explore other, further options in a better, more timely manner.